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Barks Cottage

(Ref. 3888)

Oakamoor, Peak District & Derbyshire Dales Show on map

4.8

Sykes rating

  • 5 Guests

  • 2 Bedrooms

  • 1 Bathroom

  • Pets Yes

Features

  • Electric vehicle charging
  • Ground floor accommodation
  • Ground floor bedroom
  • Open fire
  • Garden / Patio
  • Cot available
  • Highchair available
  • Washing machine
  • Dishwasher
  • Broadband / WiFi

Reviews & Ratings

Accuracy of the listing
Cleanliness
Comfort
Facilities and Maintenance
  • All reviews
  • cottage (18)
  • owners (12)
  • lovely (11)
  • our (10)
  • recommend (8)
  • barks (8)

26 Customer Reviews

  • "Barks Bungalow is a lovely cottage in a remote village but it’s not too far from civilisation."

    Absolutely perfect for exploring the Peak District and a stones throw away from Alton Towers. The cottage was clean and had everything needed for our week’s stay. The owner’s Catherine and James lived next door and were very friendly and accommodating. After arranging a date, they looked after our dogs while we were at Alton Towers (for a small fee). What a terrific service and we enjoyed our day knowing that our dogs were being cared for. I would throughly recommend staying at Barks and will definately return if we holidaying in this area again

    Reviewed by Jennifer5.0Oct 2024

  • "This cottage could not be any better a great time had by all would definitely recommend"

    What a lovely review - it means so much to us, thank you. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Diane5.0Sep 2024

  • "This property is fantastic, lovely owners who live next door, who are very friendly and helpful and also looked after our dogs whilst we went to the towers."

    The cottage is superb, the surroundings are super quiet, lovely forest walks. We are going to rebook for next year but next time for a week. Maybe squeeze another visit before next summer! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

    Thank you so much Lucy. It was lovely to meet you and your family. Please do come again soon x Property Owner

    Reviewed by Lucy5.0Aug 2024

  • "Catherine and James were very friendly and helpful."

    The accomodation was perfect and the location superb. Definatley recomened for a peaceful relaxing holiday

    It was lovely to meet you both and we're so pleased you enjoyed your stay. Thank you for recommending Barks Holiday Cottage, we really appreciate you taking the time to comment Property Owner

    Reviewed by Jacqueline5.0Jul 2024

  • "Lovely cottage, friendly owners, helpful electric car charging."

    Overall a very nice place to get away.

    Most kind of you to give us a lovely review, it means a lot. We hope to see you back again. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Chris5.0May 2024

  • "My "Recommendation" rating is very good for you as I very rarely recommend anything."

    Excellent hosts and property. Very comfortable and the open fire was really great. Shame that I had a loan car and no charging cable otherwise it would have been perfect. We even coped with the near continuous rain that the owners had no control over

    Thanks for your review, we really appreciate you taking the time. Definitely a shame about your missing EV charging cable. I've now added a reminder to our pre-arrival info sheet to bring one if you want to use the charger. Property Owner

    Reviewed by Anthony5.0Dec 2023

  • "Our holiday was absolutely wonderful I would like to thank the owners for not only the welcome and information pack."

    This beautiful cosy cottage which we stayed in, had everything I would market as a five star cottage thank you so much we have a lovely time. We look forward to coming again. Marie-Louise peter and children

    Reviewed by Marie-louise5.0Aug 2023

  • "The property was very well presented and maintained."

    It was in a quiet setting with walks to the woods minutes away and the use of a large garden to let our young dog run and play ball. We use a long line as the garden is not secure and our dog likes to go noseying about. Would recommend too anyone who likes walking about and is pretty mobile.

    Thank you so much for your kind feedback. We strive hard to provide a perfect setting for our guests to enjoy their holiday. Take care, Catherine & James Property Owner

    Reviewed by Kathryn5.0Jun 2023

  • "Warm, clean and comfortable."

    There's no phone signal and wi fi not great- not a problem if advertised as such...... The pub is a mile- but via steep field tracks or narrow country lane - not generally accessible. There's limited cooking and serving dishes for 5. This is a pleasant cottage, nicely presented but more remote practically than advertised. Comfortable for 4, suspect 5 feels crowded. The drive is v tight- there is parking for 2 small vehicles but would required some skillful driving: 2 modern family vehicles would struggle.

    2024 update: - We now have super fast Starlink wifi. - We have had the drive re-landscaped and there is room for 3 cars. The track is indeed fairly narrow, but our Sainsbury's van reverses down without issue, so definitely not a problem for family cars. - the pub at the bottom of the hill has recently closed. There are 2 other pubs within walking distance, but only if you're a keen walker. It's easier and there's more local choice if you nip out in the car. - we review the kitchen equipment every year and added more following your feedback. So glad you found the cottage cosy and welcoming, hope to see you back again x Property Owner

    Reviewed by Catherine3.8Oct 2022

  • "Barks Cottage is a beautiful property and the owners, who live next door, are very friendly."

    I would recommend this cottage to any family wanting to get away to a peaceful location for a relaxing holiday! We, a family of 5 (2 adults and 3 children) booked the cottage so we could visit Alton Towers, which is only about a 10 minute drive away. We found the public footpaths and woods in the area are very overgrown making them unusable, this is of course not the owners fault but we were a little disappointed that we had to walk/cycle along the road. Although the cottage is lovely, we did find the location too far away from local amenities and felt like we were always in the car. We had to use our car to get anywhere due to being unable to get back up the very steep hills to the property. Overall we had a lovely, comfortable stay and I would recommend this cottage. Thankyou!

    Reviewed by Abigail3.4Jul 2022

  • "We very much enjoyed our stay at Barks Cottage, as scored above, the equipment levels, cleanliness and comfort were all excellent."

    But, for us the peaceful location and direct access, via footpaths, to unspoilt wildlife-rich habitats was the main benefit of our stay.

    Reviewed by David5.0Apr 2022

  • "A great place to stay, lovely and quiet, but close to Alton Towers, something for everyone."

    We enjoyed watching the birds on the bird table out of the bedroom window, and the pheasants hopping around out the front. The owners were great, there if you need them and happy to help with any queries. The accommodation was just right for us, and well equipped and clean. Nice touch of a bottle of bubbly in the fridge and daffodils in a vase. Thank you!

    Reviewed by Bryony5.0Apr 2022

  • "Lovely well appointed cottage."

    Owners were flexible and friendly. Would highly recommend

    Reviewed by Derhim5.0Dec 2021

  • "Barks cottage met all our expectations."

    We were two adults and one Labrador dog and it was in the perfect position for lots of great walks. Walks were sent to us before we arrived by the owners so we were up and running when we got there. The cottage was comfortable and had everything we needed in a lovely quiet position. We would recommend this cosy cottage.

    Reviewed by Catherine5.0Oct 2021

  • "The cottage was just perfect for us and our dog everything you needed was there it was really lovely and peaceful with good views and lovely walks on the doorstep we loved the walks through the woods and valley ."

    we would recommend this cottage and would return

    Reviewed by Stephen5.0Sep 2021

  • "The stunning view from the patio and the peace and quite, wonderfull!"

    We will certainly be back.

    Reviewed by David5.0Sep 2021

  • "Very nice part of the world, very peaceful, owners welcoming and always there to help."

    Reviewed by Alan4.1Sep 2020

  • "The cottage was spotless and we had everything we needed."

    It was located in a peaceful setting and we spent four nights there. It was a perfect relaxing break. We took our 11 year old dog with us who enjoyed his walks in the local woods.

    Reviewed by Cecil5.0Aug 2020

  • "Exactly what we needed; great location with plenty of great walks nearby."

    Friendly owners, pet friendly and a really nice cottage for relaxing away from the stresses of daily life!

    Reviewed by Christopher5.0Aug 2020

  • "Wow!! What a beautiful holiday home"

    . Was lovely and clean and everything we needed. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at barks. We was using this as somewhere to stay to visit family and local area. I was very impressed, it was clean warm and welcoming. I'm actually quite sad to have left. We had some teething problems but the owners who live next door were very approachable and fixed them within a few minutes. They gave use a list of things to do when we left due to covid which I was happy to do and hope I got right lol I will be 100% looking to book again because I really did enjoy staying here.

    Reviewed by Leigh5.0Jul 2020

  • "We were using the cottage as a base to visit all the other villages in the area which was easy to achieve because of its location."

    We found Barks cottage very peaceful, quite and for those who want excitement or to explore it is also near Alton towers and the Peak district.

    Reviewed by Samuel5.0Aug 2019

  • "Very relaxing stay"

    Reviewed by Ian5.0Apr 2019

  • "Barks Cottage provided very comfortable, well equipped accommodation for us, an 'older' couple with a fairly lively dog."

    It's in an attractive area in which even in winter we found plenty to do and see, despite not being attracted to the nearby Alton Towers. It was nice to be able to go on a decent walk straight from the cottage. Finding Barks for the first time was slightly tricky for non-GPS users.

    Reviewed by Jonathan5.0Feb 2019

  • "Barks cottage is a nice, cosy, and quiet retreat."

    Very good starting point for extended walks through a beautiful rural landscape and the Peak District Park.

    Reviewed by Peter5.0Dec 2018

  • "Cottage stands in beautiful scenery, tranquil, restful week, a brilliant place"

    Reviewed by Susan5.0Aug 2018

  • "Sykes cottages were brilliant from first contact."

    Helpful with all the pre-booking information and keeping me updated. The cottage that we stayed in was really beautiful and we had a lovely stay.

    Reviewed by Claire4.4May 2018

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Summary

  • Single-storey
  • Two bedrooms: 1 x double, 1 x family room with adult bunk and single
  • Shower room with walk-in shower, basin and WC
  • Kitchen/diner
  • Living/dining room with open fire
  • LPG central heating
  • Electric oven and hob, microwave, washing machine, fridge/freezer, dishwasher
  • TV with Freeview, Superfast Starlink WiFi, selection of books and games
  • Fuel and power inc. in rent
  • Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
  • Cot and highchair available
  • Ample off-road parking and EV charging point available
  • Private terrace area with furniture
  • Two well-behaved dogs welcome
  • Sorry, no smoking
  • Shops 3.7 miles, pub 2.1 miles
  • Note: Family room can be arranged as a twin to sleep 2 guests
  • Note: The garden is not enclosed
  • Note: Dog sitting service by arrangement with owner at £5 per morning/afternoon session
  • Note: The fire should be operated with utmost care and skill by an adult; if the fire is used, it is essential to supervise pets and children, ensuring that all guests act responsibly and safely
  • Note: Check-in from 4pm, check-out at 10am

The property

Oakamoor 1 mile.

Barks Cottage is nestled in the serene little hamlet of Moneystone, yet is just a stone's throw from the exhilarating Alton Towers.

This idyllic retreat is conveniently located on the outskirts of the Peak District National Park which adds an extra layer of convenience, making it the perfect destination for a harmonious blend of exploration and relaxation.

Barks Cottage presents a ground-floor haven, featuring an inviting sitting room adorned with a delightful open fire, as well as two charmingly-presented bedrooms where you can relax after an adventure-filled day.

After parking up, cross the threshold into your new home-from-home, ready to kick back in front of the TV as your other half gets to grips with a range of superb appliances in the well-equipped kitchen.

Settle down at the dining table, ready to tuck into a delicious feast as you toast and plan for the exciting days ahead.

This rural cottage is in the heart of the beautiful Churnet Valley and Peak District, with footpaths straight from the doorstep for long hikes and short walkies.

Discover the perfect setting for leisurely walks and playful adventures with extensive gardens designed for both relaxation and fun for children, these grounds offer breathtaking views of the idyllic countryside.

With vast expanses of fields and woodland in the nearby Churnet Valley, the opportunity for invigorating walks awaits you right at the doorstep.

When sleep calls, retreat back inside to freshen up with a revitalising shower, completing your night-time routine before hunkering down in either of the homely bedrooms, and catching your well-deserved rest before continuing with your itinerary.

In the morning, set out to discover the allure of the Peak District, as the neighbouring villages and market towns of Ashbourne, Leek, and Buxton are easily accessible from your doorstep.

Immerse yourself in the region's rich heritage and explore the abundance of local attractions, including the magnificent National Trust houses and gardens such as Biddulph Grange Garden with its stunning Victorian garden, or Ilam Park, a picturesque estate featuring a medieval manor house and beautiful parkland.

For those seeking a touch of excitement, both the renowned Churnet Valley Railway and Alton Towers Theme Park are just a stone's throw away, offering a variety of exhilarating rides, live entertainment, and attractions suitable for all ages.

Visit Tittesworth Reservoir, just a short drive from Oakamoor and a popular destination for outdoor activities; enjoy a leisurely stroll around the reservoir, try your hand at fishing, or embark on a cycling adventure along the scenic trails.

Also located nearby, The Roaches is a stunning gritstone ridge offering panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

It's a paradise for climbers and hikers, with various routes and trails to suit different abilities- don't forget to take your camera to capture the breathtaking vistas!

Barks Cottage and its idyllic location offer an unforgettable retreat, regardless of the season.

View on map

About the location

OAKAMOOR

Ashbourne 10 miles; Leek 14 miles.

The picturesque village of Oakamoor, which has recently been granted Conservation Area status, and which is immaculately maintained, is located in the beautiful and peaceful Churnet Valley, in the Staffordshire Moorlands. As the name suggests, it is surrounded by woodland, and is an ideal base for walkers, ramblers, cyclists and nature lovers. There is a former railway line running alongside the River Churnet from Oakamoor Picnic area to Denstone which is perfect for gentle cycling and walking, and there are numerous public footpaths, many of which converge in “Woods and Ways” and “Heritage” Trails around the village. There are lovely locations for picnics in the village itself, and a good pub is situated in the centre of the village. Set between the lovely market towns of Ashbourne and Leek (approximately 15 minutes’ drive away) both of which feature an array of delightful antique stores, independent shops, markets, and a great selection of good pubs and restaurants. Historic attractions like Chatsworth House, Haddon Hall, Sudbury Hall, Calke Abbey and Shugborough Hall, the many fantastic Peak District Villages like Ilam, Hartington, Tissington - famous for the well dressings, and the Spa town of Buxton, are also within easy reach.

This property offers the following short breaks:

  • Winter
  • Off-season
  • Last minute
  • Christmas